Street set to launch Mayor’s Mentors scheme

More than 1,000 ‘Mayor’s Mentors’ will be recruited from across the West Midlands business community to boost young people’s career prospects and tackle youth unemployment, as part of an initiative being launched later today.

Mayor’s Mentors is one of the first programmes set up by the new Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Ahead of it’s official launch, to take place at KPMG’s Birmingham offices, Mr Street addressed an audience of nearly 1,000 people gathered at the ICC for last night’s Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) awards.

Mr Street said:

BYBY is an excellent reminder of the wealth of talent, ambition and potential we have in our region. As Mayor, it’s something I am keen to harness and help to shape our future.

That’s why I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak about the launch of my Mayor’s Mentors programme which will seek to use the experience and skills of our region’s successful professionals as a way of supporting the next generation.

I hope many of those present on the evening will step forward and sign up, giving something back and maybe even inspiring a future BYPY winner.

Mayor’s Mentors aims to recruit professionals from a variety of sectors and backgrounds to be matched to young people and serve as mentors.

They will offer support and guidance to young people either starting out in the world of work or setting up their own business.

It forms part of the commitment made by the Mayor in his ‘Renewal Plan’ to support entrepreneurship and eradicate youth unemployment within the three years of the first term.

In the West Midlands there are 13,650 people aged 18-24 out of work and not in training.

As well as helping people to get into the job market, the Mayor’s Mentors programme will aim to help people who embark on their careers to improve their chances of success and also offer advice to young entrepreneurs.

They will typically be teamed up with an appropriate young person and meet, either in person or using technology, one or two times a month to discuss the young person’s work or business.

Mr Street said:

One thing I have learned in my career is the value of having a mentor – it’s helped me take important decisions in work and in life.

It’s that lesson that is at the heart of the Mayor’s Mentors initiative.

These mentors will be people who are successful in their careers and who can give a hand up for young people just starting out, in work or those setting up on their own.

Lots of members of the business community have been saying to me that they want to play their part in tackling youth unemployment, give something back and assist in the ongoing success of the region.

While there are many positive economic indicators in the West Midlands, improving opportunities for young people is vital. This is why I made eradicating youth unemployment in the West Midlands a clear priority. In the Black Country, the challenges around youth unemployment are particularly profound.

Quite simply, I am determined that by the end of my first three years we will have a youth unemployment rate of zero.